7 Types of Construction Cranes

A crane is used in construction to lift and lower heavy material. It is equipped with cables and pulleys that make the job possible. When used in constructions, it’s either mounted on a built vehicle to fix to the ground. It can be controlled by a push button or by an operator in a cab. Construction sites uses one type of crane or all of it, including below the hook lifting devices and other tools.

Cranes are interesting and powerful machine. It can accomplish difficult task especially on the construction sites. For the construction industry, it’s a very helpful machine that makes the job easier. The following are the types of construction cranes normally used in construction sites.

Mobile Crane

This is the most standard crane used in construction nowadays. It consists of telescopic boom or steel truss. Its versatility depends on its mobility and footprint. The footprint is a required area for the crane to set up its outriggers into position. That way, the material is allowed to be hoisted while inside the crane chart requirements.

Telescopic Crane

Telescopic crane has a number of tubes fitted one inside of the other. The tube is extended or retracted to decrease or increase the length of the boom by using a hydraulic mechanism. Most cranes used in constructions are telescopic cranes.

Tower Crane

This is a balance crane, but in a modern form. It offers the best combination of lifting capacity and height especially if fixed to the ground. This is the crane you’ll see when people are constructing tall buildings. There are large tower cranes that can reach up to 1000 meter high. It is connected to the building so it doesn’t sway and tip.

Truck Mounted Crane

From the name itself, this crane is mounted on a truck. It provides great mobility. During hoisting, what makes the crane level and stabilize are the outriggers that extend horizontally or vertically. Its versatility is found on their reach and mobility. It can rarely exceed a 50 ton capacity.

Rough Terrain Crane

This crane is designed for operations off road which is mounted on an undercarriage. Like truck mounted crane, its outriggers extend horizontally and vertically to stabilize and level the crane while it hoists. This is a single engine machine where the engine powers both the undercarriage and the crane. It’s also ideal for construction sites that have dirt, uneven and rocky terrain. Rough terrain crane is also effective on infrastructure projects because of its mobility and ability to travel around the site.

Loader Crane

Loader crane is used to load equipment into a trailer. When it’s not in use, the sections are folded into small spaces. There are 200 ton capacity loader cranes now because its capacity has increased over the years.

Overhead Crane

This is also known as suspended crane, normally used in factories. It can also be found in large outdoor manufacturing plants and shipyards. Overhead cranes have the ability to lift heavy loads.